Former IU Commit Daeh McCullough Commits to Cincinnati

A four-star defensive back in the class of 2023, former Indiana football commit Daeh McCullough announced his commitment to Cincinnati on Saturday. McCullough will play for head coach Luke Fickell, who led the Bearcats to the 2021 College Football Playoff.

Four-star defensive back Daeh McCullough announced his commitment to the Cincinnati football team on Saturday. 

McCullough was originally committed to play for Indiana, but he de-committed on May 19. He is the No. 219 player in the class of 2023 and the No. 19 safety in the country. McCullough played for Bloomington South during his junior season, but he'll play his senior season for Saint Joseph High School in South Bend, Ind. 

McCullough is the son of former Indiana running backs coach Deland McCullough, who left Indiana after one season to take the same job at Notre Dame. 

Daeh's older brother Dasan is the top recruit in Indiana football history, and will play for the Hoosiers in 2022. Dasan is a four-star recruit and the No. 75 player in the class of 2022. He is listed as a linebacker, but also played safety and defensive end throughout his high school career. 

Deland Jr. is currently a defensive back on Indiana, and joined the Hoosiers before the 2021 season as a transfer from Miami (OH). At one point, all three McCullough brothers were committed to play at Indiana, but that won't be the case anymore as Daeh has committed to Cincinnati. 

Daeh will play for Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell, who has built Cincinnati into one of the top football programs in the country over the last few seasons. The Bearcats are 48-15 across five seasons under Fickell, including three 11-plus win seasons and a 2-2 record in bowl games. Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

Indiana lost 38-24 to Cincinnati during the 2021 season in a game the Hoosiers led 21-17 with 3:54 remaining in the third quarter. Cincinnati went on to go undefeated in the regular season to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, where the Bearcats lost 27-6 to Alabama in the semifinal game. 

Indiana will travel to Cincinnati on Sept. 24, 2022 to complete the home-and-home series with the Bearcats. 

Stories related to Indiana football:

• FOUR-STAR DB DE-COMMITS FROM INDIANA: Daeh McCullough, the son of former Indiana running backs coach Deland McCullough, decommitted from Indiana on Thursday. The class of 2023 defensive back would have been the third-highest ranked recruit in Indiana history. CLICK HERE
• BIG TEN ROUNDUP: TOP 25 TRANSFERS: We're still a few months away from the start of the 2022 college football season as new players get acclimated with the teams they've joined through the transfer portal. Here are the top 25 incoming Big Ten football transfers. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA LANDS 2023 THREE-STAR QB BROC LOWRY:Broc Lowry, the top-ranked quarterback from the state of Ohio, committed to Indiana on Thursday. Lowry is a three-star recruit out of Canfield High School, and he's the No. 53 quarterback in the class of 2023. CLICK HERE